- Home
- Departments
- Land Department
- Recreation on Public Lands
- Roads and Trails
Roads and Trails
Forest Roads
The Cass County Land Department manages over 1,000 miles of forest roads to provide access to the land for management purposes. Portions of some of the roads also serve as recreational trails.
Non-Motorized Trails
Cass County has several trail systems designated for non-motorized recreational use only. Most of these areas are labeled as cross-country ski trails but keep in mind that hiking, hunting, biking, and horseback riding are also allowed.
Cross Country Ski Trails
Ski trails (Cut Lake, Hiram, Goose Lake, and Washburn Lake) are maintained and groomed by the Lake Country Nordic Ski Club. Email Lake Country Nordic Ski Club. These four trails are Grant-in-Aid trails and require a Minnesota Ski Pass. Deep Portage Ski Trails and Shingobee Recreation Area Trails are groomed by Deep Portage Learning Center. Email Deep Portage Learning Center or call 218-682-2325.
Trail | Type |
---|---|
Cutlake Skiing/Mountain Bike Trail (PDF) | Classical |
Deep Portage Ski Trail (PDF) | Classical |
Goose Lake Trail (PDF) | Classical |
Hiram X-Country Ski Trail (PDF) | Classical |
Shingobee Recreation Area (PDF) | Classical / Skating |
Washburn Lake Solitude Area (PDF) | Classical |
Motorized Use of Forest Roads & Trails
- Rules for all County Administered Land in Cass County (PDF)
- Rules for County Administered Land in the Spider Lake and Foot Hills State Forest area (PDF)
- Rules for Soo Line Trail in Cass County, Ordinance 2010-2 (PDF)
- Minnesota Off-Highway Vehicle Regulations and Trail Maps
- Minnesota Snowmobile Regulations and Trail Maps
- Recreational Sites in Cass County (PDF)
Recreational Map Information
The Cass County Interactive Web Mapping service provides online access to the following information:
- Snowmobile Trails, Boat Accesses, Public Land Ownership, Paved Trails, Ski Trails, ATV Trails, and Designated Hunter/Hiking Trails
- To display the required data layers, check the box for Recreational Layers within the legend on the left side of the map.
The Cass County Highway Map (PDF) provides this information in a printed version and is available to the public at no cost at the Land Department (Backus), Courthouse and Highway Department (Walker).
Designated Roads & Trails for Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Use
Because of the way county, state, and federal lands are distributed in Cass County, the public process for trail designations has been split among three different areas:
- Foot Hills State Forest and Pillsbury State Forest - completed in 2005 View Trail Map
- Chippewa National Forest OHV Travel Access Project - Spring 2006 to Summer 2009 View more information
- East Central Group OHV Project (south Cass County) - Spring 2007 to Fall 2008 (PDF)
- Map Showing Approximate Areas Covered by Each Process (PDF)
-
Mark Gossman
Land Commissioner
-
Land Department
Physical Address
218 Washburn Avenue E
Backus, MN 56435
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 25
Backus, MN 56435
Phone: 218-947-3338Fax: 218-947-3230
Hours
Monday through Friday
8 am to 4:30 pmMeeting Room 218-947-7511